Testimonials

I got the job that I wanted – so life is good! Originally, my only hesitation was making the investment at a time when I was not bringing in a paycheck. I felt a bit of guilt using money period but I quickly justified it as an investment in future paychecks – which worked out.

What you need to know about working with Melissa is that she is flexible. Life is a mess in every house and she recognizes that. She was always there when I needed and a time that worked for everyone. I really appreciated that! Also, it’s important to know that although we are all busy she gives homework. Melissa’s exercises were an important opportunity to look inward at, not who I am or was, but who I wanted to be. While tedious, they did provide me with a lot of clarity on who I want to be and how to best present myself to start being that new version of me! I’ve benefited from partnering with Melissa in ways beyond having the job I wanted. I used to think it was not genuine if you had a script ready but having realized that nerves often have different plans than your judgment, I’ve learned the value of preparing points ahead of time.

Your own genuineness comes out as a result of not focusing on your nerves. I would absolutely recommend Melissa! And I’ve already done so. Anyone in my position could benefit at this point from a bit of coaching. Just because you have been working forever doesn’t mean you know what people are looking for out there. People looking to change professional paths trying to open doors in different industries or areas within their own industries. We assume we know a lot but sometimes, a bit of freshness is always helpful!

Something else that you need to learn about Melissa is that there is time for everything – chit chat, catchup, business, wrap up – but, it all needs to be done efficiently … with our lives being so multifaceted, we need to efficient with our times, know what we need to accomplish together and separately in order to achieve our collective goals. Melissa doesn’t play around and she makes it clear from the onset. I really appreciated that about working with Melissa.

After working with Melissa, I realized that I need to put in the time and effort in order to get what I’m seeking. Being kept accountable for deliverables kept me on track, and forced me to keep job hunting and the homework that came along with it, top of mind. Aside from obviously being an expert in her field, Melissa really knew how to speak to me… very much catered to who I am. She pushed gently and positioned my work as being all about the kids I would be helping in my target employer, not me, which was extremely smart to do, as well as a great tactic to use on those of us that are very focused on giving back to others, as opposed to doing for ourselves. In terms of her resources, I think the sample cover letter/resume were the best resources. I learned how to customize and really show off my qualifications- not an easy task for someone who is introverted. What folks must know about working with Melissa is that you’ll not only receive the one-on-one virtual sessions, but there’s so much more to it- videos, emails, additional content to help grow. It didn’t and doesn’t feel like a “one and done” type of program. I have already recommended Melissa to others.

I wasn’t sure that a person with 10 yrs of experience could help someone with 30 yrs but I took a chance because I wanted to be fully prepared. The value that I got in working with Melissa was really around being able to focus in on the important aspect of the interview which is getting across to the interviewer that I was best candidate. Specifically, I felt the most beneficial advice was the chart of my work experience relative to the new job. Talking during the interviews about how my experience was the same, different, and key learning really solidified me as the winning candidate! Our session allowed me to expand my thinking about my career and now I will consider using a coach in more parts of my life. Melissa’s method brings results. I received an offer and accepted the job which we targeted. Yes, I would recommend Melissa’s services to my HR team, my boss, and several people who are looking.

The results that I garnered from partnering with Melissa were that I landed an offer in a new sector for me from machinery to healthcare and along the way I identified advocates within multiple organizations during our time together and in fewer than two months. Softer results include improved clarity on career objectives and work history, target companies and network for advocacy. Prior to working with Melissa, I did not have a strong appreciation for the work required to get one interview. The process she used helped me build muscle to land interviews repeatedly- from the templates to act of interview prep, I now spend hours in advance of each conversation which has me appear much differently to perspective employers. I would recommend her services to people who have not been in the job market recently, mostly focused in a single company, sector or industry. She will provide a mirror that gives a true perspective on where they stand in the broader world. Again, it was wonderful working with Melissa. Not only did I get a job but she helped me restore my confidence so I was ready to step into the new role – priceless!

The results that I garnered from working with Melissa are that I gained structure around my interview preparation and picked up valuable interviewing tips that I leveraged to help me land a Chief Strategy Officer role in an energy company. What I liked best about working with Melissa was her response time in that she was there when I needed her, her quality and focus, and that she prepped for our meetings. I would highly recommend her to other senior professionals who are committed to doing the work necessary to ultimately get the best results.

The most important thing people should know about working with Melissa is that with her they will find an open forum to air their concerns and receive very clear guidance on how to prepare themselves with confidence – know that her method really works. Not only did I get the job, but I have much more awareness now of my strengths and areas of opportunity as well as how should I approach an interview process. Aside from the confidence boost that I got from working with her I found her interview questions to be extremely helpful because they not only encouraged me to address how I would do the job as to exceed the company’s expectations but she also asked me questions that more broadly addressed the expanded role of a CFO in today’s global economy – it was a great learning experience for me overall. I really enjoyed working with Melissa and will be grateful forever for our shared success.

Television and Digital Producer of Kid’s Media

After leaving my last place of employment, I decided that now was the time to refocus and go for my dream job. I did my research and read the many articles on how to go about it, but what I really needed was focused guidance. On top of everything else I was suffering from resume writing fatigue.

Two years ago, I reached out to Melissa. Due to the death of my father we were unable to work together. My initial conversation with her had such an impact, that two years later I reached out to her again. What was it that made me circle back? During our initial call Melissa took time to listen to my work experience. Unlike some others she didn’t try to dominate the conversation with her “pitch.” She asked detailed questions and in real time helped me understand how we would work together.

Although I was eager to address my job hunt, I was a bit hesitant because this was the first time I had worked with a career coach. Really, it’s a bit like going into therapy. You find yourself feeling a bit apprehensive about having an honest conversation regarding your past, present, and future. Melissa makes you feel at ease with the process by kicking things off with a fabulous in depth questionnaire that basically has you scratching your head and saying, “Yikes, I never even took the time to think about that before.” By the time you complete the workshop portion, you see yourself in a whole new light.

I can’t recommend Melissa enough. Note, this is a two-way process. Be ready to do the work. This will not be a series a sessions in which you sit back and look to Melissa to diagnose and provide that magical answer.

Melissa’s greatest strength is her talent for pinpointing your strengths, weakness, what has worked for you in the past, what has not, and identifying skills that you may not feel make you shine, but do.

I can say that after working with Melissa I feel even more confident when it comes to networking, especially in LinkedIn. She has helped me learn to formulate just the right questions to ask myself as to why I am taking specific actions.

The things I like best about Melissa: she is extremely ernest, does not sugar coat things, and is a pro at leading you through self-examination. No matter what your field, Melissa is able to jump right in and sound as if she had been working in it for years.

If you are coming off of a stressful work situation I suggest taking that badly needed vacation. When you return bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, call Melissa.

Director of Strategic Initiatives of the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth

The results that I have achieved since hiring Melissa have been that I’ve clarified the target audience for my client services business which has given us the clarity we needed to finish our beta launch, and for the product based business, we applied to and have been selected as semi-finalists for the Dartmouth DEN/DALI Lab The Pitch competition! What I like about working is Melissa is that she is non-judgmental, when I was struggling Melissa knew when to give me a kick in the pants to keep moving or an encouraging word to help me get out of my own way. I like the specificity of Melissa’s homework assignments. I’ve also benefited from our time together in that I’m more excited to reach out for help, engage experts to do what they love so I can do what I love. It feels good to have my two passion projects moving again after our work together. I had thousands of dollars that I hadn’t invoiced for and I finally realized I was harming my business and not doing my clients any favors by not being timely. I feel unstuck. I would recommend Melissa. I’d recommend Melissa to anyone who is trying to define a problem, their brand or how to put together a game plan to move forward on a project, goal or dream. The most important thing about partnering with Melissa is that she is smart, funny and doesn’t take any excuses. Melissa always spent more than our allotted time with me, I felt that she truly cared about what I was wrestling with. I love that she always had a suggestion for a resource or a clarifying homework assignment. Melissa is so committed to my business success that following our time together she connected me to another person with a passion in the same area, who takes time to do that? Exceptional people like Melissa.

School Administrator at Guilford County Schools

School Administrator at Guilford County Schools

Since working with Melissa I have gained self-confidence. She never judged my honest answers and she was sincere about trying to help me land a job. Today I can confidently say that Melissa saved me from self-doubt and fear. What I enjoyed most about Melissa was her reflective questions which required me to think deeper. In the past I lacked confidence during interviews, however during my last interview I felt prepared and able to tackle any question. I attribute my feeling prepared to the tailored interview questions she gave me as prework. Those 17 questions were relevant to what it takes to become the principal of a school. Lastly, it’s great to bounce ideas off of Melissa and I intend to remain in contact with Melissa on a regular basis because I can trust her and she has consistency provided me with suggestions without passing judgment.

Supply Chain Leader

Supply Chain Leader for John Deere

I had not worked on a resume or thought about job searching in over 15 years so it was a pretty daunting experience to begin. The only hesitation I had was if I was ready to receive the services or if I should have done more work up front. I’m happy that I started when I did because otherwise, I wouldn’t have gotten this far on my own! My resume, cover letter and LinkedIn profile are all updated and of much better quality than when I started! Through the process I also learned a lot of valuable information on how to find target companies, how to search for contacts, etc. All of these activities have given me much more confidence than when we began! What I liked most about working with Melissa was the accountability that came with the process. In a busy day and life, these things are easily put on the back burner and our weekly meetings held me accountable for getting my ‘homework’ done and being ready for the session. I wouldn’t have maintained the progress without these regular reviews. Since I have been out of the job search field for so many years, I have absolutely found all of the resources to be very helpful including her brand exercise which was also very good along with all her help with resources that are available online, particularly LinkedIn! Something that I think is important to know about working with Melissa is that you need to set enough time aside during these five weeks to do it justice otherwise you won’t receive the maximum benefits if you aren’t committed to putting in the necessary time.

Managing Director

HR Technology for MUFG

What I liked best about working with Melissa was her candid feedback and myriad of tools. All of her tools were helpful (90-day plan, top companies list and related information stored there, keywords list and exercise that resulted in her being able to identify my ideal keywords, her use of Skype to consult with me, etc.) I have been able to go back to almost all of her resources to review information we discussed and/or to refresh my memory about the feedback Melissa provided in writing. In addition, I appreciate getting copies of the recorded sessions we had. It’s a never-ending source of information as I continue down this journey. After partnering with Melissa, I have a much clearer understanding of what my focus needs to be around while I am on my job search. Also, I believe that my applications, cover letters, Twitter and LinkedIn collateral are much better structured to put my best foot forward. I understand the level of detail that I need to focus on to ensure that I present myself in the best light possible. The most important thing people should know about working with Melissa is that she makes it easy for her clients to be themselves, she leverages technology to support your clients, and she provides honest/direct feedback which helps her clients prepare for the “real world” of career management.

Senior Advisor, Alberta Government

Senior Advisor, Alberta Government

Before I left my job to live overseas and start a family, I knew I was a well prepared, highly regarded professional whom was driven and considered a fantastic hire. Being a stay at home mom, it was easy to forget about this along with the accomplishments I previously achieved. Since hiring Melissa, I have made tremendous progress in the areas of ‘dusting off the cobwebs’ regarding my previous work experience, building my confidence in myself and previous accomplishments, and knowledge of the types of questions to think about and expect. Melissa has good energy, a forthright manner, and thorough work ethic. I had a few friends look over the questions Melissa sent me and they all remarked or commented “boy, she really did read that job posting and understands what they are looking for.” This was great as Melissa gave me more insight into what exactly they were looking for or getting at with the job posting information or elements. Something that anyone who hires Melissa should know is that she is not a pep-talk type of coach (I didn’t need nor want that). Rather, Melissa is a roll your sleeves up and get at the heart of ‘what do we have to work with?’ sort of coach. For instance, she’ll consider what to expect based on the job description and current types/style of interview questions . She’ll have you think about specific element/aspects and answer direct questions. Then Melissa will run you through some other questions and together you’ll decide on what requires additional attention after that. I found her type of coaching much more effective.”

Judi Hayes

Chief Branding Officer for Hospitality, Inc.

I want to thank Melissa for all her help and sage advice. I took advantage of her initial consult and found it very helpful. I’ve also enjoy reading her blog posts and find the information very helpful. As a result, I had no hesitations with hiring Melissa. I like her non-nonsense approach. She is candid, patient and very good at what she does. Initially Melissa gave me a word of advice and that was to “stop doing what I was doing”. I was like a hamster running in circles sending resumes everywhere. You said to take a week or so to “reset”. I did exactly that and it helped me clear my head. Sure enough 3 weeks later, I found a job, secured an interview and accepted a job offer later. I would definitely recommend Melissa to any mid to senior level professional who is ready to work hard and commit to doing what is necessary to take full advantage of the expertise Melissa offers.

I think partnering with Melissa is a good investment, particularly for people who have been out of the job search loop for a while. I felt she was results oriented. Even though we had specific sessions scheduled, I never felt like we left something out because of the time limit. Melissa is super responsive and on top of things. Melissa also provided great insights on how to approach the job search, as well as specific companies and industries. Our mock interview was also very useful. Melissa was also a great help with my resume. When I show it to other people almost every time they have nothing to change.

I hired Melissa to do a two-hour training targeting post-9/11 military veterans who were looking to transition into civilian roles. Melissa delivered what she promised, she respect everyone’s values and time, she was committed to her clients, and delivered a high-quality presentation. The best thing about working with Melissa is her commitment and follow-through. It is important to me to know once I have a commitment from a trainer/presenter, I don’t have to worry, it’s done. In addition to conducting the training, she even invited a guest who has made the transition from military to civilian employment. Her presentation was great and I believe her story and her husband’s story will inspire students to do well because they know what others have done. During Melissa’s session, I even learned a few things myself. For example, Melissa uncovered other veteran-friendly organizations that I have not thought of inviting to CTER’s [Community Training & Employment Resources] breakfast to expand our job development list of employers. This is extremely valuable information to Community Training & Employment Resources as we aim to prepare people to become successful job seekers and employees. Lastly, I would recommend Melissa’s services to others, because I believe they will get a well thought through presentation based on their requested topic, a committed person who will do what she says, and a speaker who is guided to do a great job.

The biggest result I’ve noticed after partnering with Melissa is feeling like I have a direction I want to move in. Before we started I had no idea what I wanted or how to get it. I also was struggling to get my resume and cover letters in order. I now feel more confident when networking because I know how to reach out to prospective connections. I also understand how to recognize whether a potential job will be a good fit. A big hesitation I had when choosing to work with Melissa was if I was too young in my career to benefit from your services. I felt like her site was more tailored to experienced professionals looking for a career switch. I expressed this to Melissa and still agree with her point that the skills she teaches are relevant across career level and could really give me a leg up in moving forward. Melissa also tailored my specific program so that I could get the most out of it. I would recommend Melissa to even those earlier on in their careers, I already have to the majority of my young professional friends across industries who are feeling “stuck” and unsure about what they want to do. I honestly think Melissa should go around to different colleges and do a senior year workshop. I would have killed to have something similar to this my senior year while applying to jobs and figuring out what made sense for me. The most important thing to know is that the effort they put in will match the benefit they get out. I like this program because she doesn’t just answer all the questions and make all the connections- she challenges us and helps guide us in discovering what will be best and make the most sense. Lastly, doing this is 100% worth it for any age or career level.

In the beginning I felt hesitant about networking and getting in contact with people. I had always worked with recruiters before so I felt a little outside my comfort zone. However, after having a few conversations with a couple like-minded people in my network I think I am really coming around to idea of being in charge of your career destiny. I definitely would recommend Melissa’s services. I could have had a couple of friends try to help me with the resume and some of the other topics, but no one has the time or inclination to dedicate the kind of detailed attention that I wanted. It’s like career personal training. Could you get results if you hammered away? Sure. However, in today’s competitive market I think it you want to minimize the amount of mistakes you make before finally getting an offer – which I did within 30 days. I would however recommend that prior to launching into a career coaching relationship, it’s important to have a real conversation with oneself about what you really want going forward.

Melissa is a fun, badass coach who will get to the heart of why you want that job and then help you communicate it. After 3 Skype sessions, I learned to use word clouds to find language trends that will help me target my audience. I have gained confidence in my job search. I know where to start and I know new strategies for getting jobs. For example, I learned about how to tell a compelling story that will hook my audience in my cover letter. I also really appreciated the extra time Melissa spent with me during every session, sometimes double the amount of time she allotted. That made me feel like I was getting a lot of value out of our interaction. I really liked how Melissa praised my strengths from beginning to end, even in her first email. This gave me confidence and made me feel good about myself when I was feeling down and hopeless! Yes! I would recommend Melissa to anyone struggling on the job search who has enough money to hire a coach.

Melissa means business! She brings a ‘no nonsense’ approach, like you’d expect from a New Yorker, and it was exactly what I needed. Melissa’s originality in approaching interview questions and thank you notes – highlighting my skills or an interviewer’s viewpoint on the issue — made me stand apart from other candidates to land my dream job. After working with Melissa, I have an increased sense of confidence in interviews and better insight into the questions I ask each interviewer. I would definitely recommend Melissa to any professional looking to accelerate their job search.

Melissa is very focused on developing applicable skill sets that people can immediately and effectively put to use in landing their next role. She is a great partner for executives who have commonly gone lengthy periods in their careers with one or a few companies and can benefit from polishing their approach to job search, digital networking and interviewing. I worked with Melissa through five well-orchestrated sessions using time between to engage with the material and apply learning’s. As a result of our time together, I’ve raised my confidence and competency in networking and developed an effective approach to both screening and final interviews to land the next role. Melissa clearly explained the critical aspects of a truly effective LinkedIn profile including how to measure, monitor and maintain the information for best results. What I really valued was her well-planned calls with agenda and expectations; her candid, direct and actionable feedback also was useful and clear and thus able to be put to practical use in working on the job search and prepare for the interview process. Finally, the development and critique of go-forward game plans was also very helpful for me to keep the job search work organized and on-track. I would gladly refer others in career transition to hire Melissa.

I have thoroughly enjoyed working with you. I felt at our first conversation our goals were aligned, and from then on – you were extremely dependable, professional, and structured in your approach to this project. While I always like to think that folks do what they say, I am usually disappointed in some aspect in customer service. Being in a professional services organization, I know your job is probably a balancing act, and you do it very well. Thank you, and I look forward to working with you again when the opportunity arises.

Melissa is absolutely terrific – cannot say enough good things. I connected with her via email and she set up a session for me less than 48 hours later. I came to her with specific concerns that she addressed and also connected to the bigger picture in my career growth. Talking to her gave me confidence that I was making the right choices about my career, in salary negotiations, etc. She has excellent follow up and is truly knowledgeable in her field. I have never used a career coach but I’m a true convert now and would recommend Melissa to anyone…she really makes a difference.

Melissa was a great career coach and provided a lot of value added information that was needed in today’s job market. She does her research and personalizes her services to her customers to help them meet their career goals. I reached out to Melissa for coaching consultations to assist me in my search for a job, but more importantly one that I could be passionate about. Melissa gave me insight into what qualities companies are looking for in employees. Further, she worked with me on learning my career history and helped me to build a strong resume that would appeal to any company. Finally, she made sure to give me thorough feedback on interview responses to better assist me in my job search. Barely a month later, I have found my dream job working as an Executive Manager for Macy’s in Herald Square, the biggest retailer in the U.S. Recruiters gave me feedback on how strong my resume was and how it listed all the things that they look for in qualified candidates. They felt my accomplishments and experiences helped me to stand out amongst other candidates. Further, they felt that I spoke well to my potential in the interviews. I have to thank Melissa for that feedback. I would recommend Melissa to anyone seeking assistance in today’s job market or even just looking to build a stronger outlook on their career history. She is a wonderful mentor and coach. Thank you Melissa!

Bloomberg hired Melissa to participate in a career development half-day curriculum for students who took the Bloomberg Aptitude Test. She helped us identify the most relevant topics that Gen Y needs to address to find attractive jobs, excel in them, and eventually move up the ladder. Specifically during our B*Ready Event, Melissa delivered a presentation tackling how to interview successfully and also how to build a professional reputation. As an observer during the event, I saw attendees vigorously taking notes and following the event…one attendee incorporated Melissa’s guidance (to send physical thank you notes after networking meetings) when he mailed me a hand-written thank you note. I was extremely satisfied with Melissa’s ability to create targeted content for our audience of aspiring financial professionals as well as with her ability to motivate immediate action from her audience members. I’d definitely hire her again.

Melissa is a fantastic career coach! I utilized her career coaching services for my most recent job search and found her input to be highly valuable. She helped me create the right approach by understanding the mindset of the hiring manager and tailoring my resume and cover letter to each position. I recommend her not only for seasoned professionals but also current MBA students. Thanks to Melissa I obtained two great job offers!

We asked and Melissa graciously accepted the role of moderator at the 2013 NYU/Dartmouth Adaptive Careers Alumni Conference. She extensively researched the backgrounds of all our panelists and asked insightful questions establishing an atmosphere conducive for a deep exploration of the contemporary job market across several industries. Her expertise with the nuances of modern career management made her an invaluable asset to the conference team, and we hope to work with her again soon. The link to the conference description is here: http://events.nydailynews.com/new_york_ny/events/show/325277483-nyu-dartmouth-career-event-adaptive-careers-how-to-succeed-in-a-rapidly-evolving-world.

Melissa was not just a career coach but more like a mentor to me. She spent a lot of time on getting to know me in order to better “brand” me and position me in the job market. She helped me revamp my Linkedin page completely. I was recently approached by a recruiter. The recruiter told me the reason she approached me was because she was attracted by my Linkedin profile. Melissa made sure my profile not only shows my professional experience but also shows my personality.

Melissa has been a great help every step of the way. Her blog is inspirational and work is exceptional.

I am really happy that I was part of the seminar presented by Ms.Llarena in our W!se Institute program. Her overall presentation on the variety of ways individuals may use the internet to earn maximum life time earnings was of great interest to me. Ms.Llarena pointed out the usage of various internet media sources as I have never thought of before. Her presentation was very informative and proved great professionalism. I was really impressed with Ms.Llarena’s interaction with the students and the use of the activity that would tie up her presentation to the class. Her knowledge of finance is tremendous and I hope she continues to share that content with other students in the near future.

I am really happy that I was part of the seminar presented by Ms.Llarena in our W!se Institute program. Her overall presentation on the variety of ways individuals may use the internet to earn maximum life time earnings was of great interest to me. Ms.Llarena pointed out the usage of various internet media sources as I have never thought of before. Her presentation was very informative and proved great professionalism. I was really impressed with Ms.Llarena’s interaction with the students and the use of the activity that would tie up her presentation to the class. Her knowledge of finance is tremendous and I hope she continues to share that content with other students in the near future.

Sandra G. Strothers, Ph.D.

JAG New Jersey Conference Chair

We were delighted that Ms. Llarena accepted our invitation to serve as presenter for the Jobs for America’s Graduates Career Development Conference at Monmouth University, New Jersey. Her presentation on financial literacy to high school students was more than informative. Students remained engaged as she shared relevant anecdotes and facilitated collaborative group work to aid students in recognizing financial belief systems, where they emanate, and how to adjust one’s thinking about spending and saving that will result in a good quality of life beyond high school. Her experience in working with various audiences was evident, and her professionalism in working with our conference team was welcomed and appreciated. We hope Ms. Llarena will continue to share essential knowledge with our students in the future.

Kimberly Gibbs

Manager of Line Maintenance Applications at American Airlines

Melissa’s career coaching was inspirational for me! Her coaching questions provided clarity to my career dynamics and how to formulate a career strategy. Melissa is keen with targeted questions and conversation to unveil what is most important to me as a leader and as a person! Without question, I would recommend her! I am certain I will request her career coaching assistance in the future!

Tara Schwartz

Assistant Director, Career Development Counselor, NYU Wasserman Center for Career Development

Melissa presented a workshop this June as a part of the Wasserman Center for Career Development’s programming for NYU alumni. Her presentation focused on “Strategies and a Road Map for Those Actively Seeking to Transition out of the Financial Services Industry”. The Wasserman Center received a lot of positive feedback from alumni who found the presentation to be both insightful and motivating. Melissa was an enthusiastic and reliable presenter.

Jennifer Rodriguez

Student at Harvard University and Treasurer of Latinas Unidas de Harvard College

Melissa was incredibly accommodating and easy to work with while producing excellent results. Melissa came to lead a behavioral case interview workshop at the Latina Empowerment and Development Conference held by Latinas Unidas de Harvard College and worked with the organizers to create a program that would interest those attending the workshop. Because it was a smaller workshop she was able to specialize her presentation so that it was especially relevant to those in the room. The attendees were captivated by her presentation and every attendee mentioned in the recommendation form how much they enjoyed and learned from her workshop. The workshop that she held was right before lunch and even though lunch was being served, the attendees pleaded that she should continue. They kept asking questions way past the workshop ended because of the interest they had and how much value they found the workshop. Many of the attendees listed her workshop as their favorite part of the conference and one even commented that we absolutely need to bring her back next year because her advice and insight for interviews is crucial for the job market. Not only did her presentation energize the attendees, her broad range of expertise was helpful and she specialized the content of the workshop to what the attendees wanted. I would definitely recommend Melissa and look forward to working with her in future conferences.

Jimmy Figueroa

Sourcing Manager at JPMorgan Chase & Co.

I’m excited to say that I am now part of Melissa’s success stories. We worked together for only about two weeks and in that time she transformed my whole approach towards navigating the job market. The most impressive aspect of her work was how thorough she was when evaluating each and every one of my past experiences. Afterward, she re-drafted my resume and found ways to highlight all of my achievements in a truly inspiring manner. She provided me with a strategy on how to work my Linkedin network and then she gave me thorough interview prep, specific to the job that I was interviewing for. Since graduating two years ago, I continually sought to become a part of the JP Morgan Chase team and thanks to Melissa’s guidance, I finally had the right approach and was more prepared than ever. I was ultimately extended an attractive offer and so it is with great pleasure that I say that my investment in her career coaching paid 10X. Actually, I feel like she set me up to help me meet my future goal of getting into a top business school. Melissa’s career coaching and guidance is invaluable.

Jessica Rodrigues

Melissa is a creative, thorough and insightful career coach. Her preparation and innate understanding of my needs exceeded all my expectations. In helping me prepare for interviews, Melissa helped me express my personal mission and hone in on the unique talents I can offer that set me apart from my peers. And articulate these skills a way that resonated with the organizations where I wanted to work. Not only did she prepare challenging and relevant questions, but she gave me innovative ideas to propose to potential employers to meet their needs. Most notably, she suggested that I offer to prepare a presentation for Master’s candidates on my field experience for a contact at an academic institution during an informational interview and it was a hit! Working with Melissa built my confidence and gave me the tools I needed to conduct a stellar interview. I would work with her again in a heartbeat.

James Bois Smith

former Specialist E-4 in the Army National Guard

I hired Melissa to assist me in building a Resume for International Student Marketer of the Year. She blew me away with her passion and understanding for Career Coaching. Here is how – immediately after our phone call she sent me exercises to learn what set me apart from my competitors. Then, we spoke for almost 3 hours on the phone where she asked me deeper questions about this content. Finally, she used all of this info to provide a resume that was HIGHLY targeted for RESULTS and IMPACT. I sent out the first draft to 12 of my most trusted mentors and received “WOW” results! If you are considering doing this alone. Wait! Call Melissa and just talk out your plans. She can and will provide you with the same great results that she provided me!